Down seconds shot themselves in the foot in this Junior 4 clash which they should have won by a comfortable margin.

The fact the Malone Park side suffered its first home defeat of the season was due to its inability to put the ball in the net. Down created numerous chances which they wasted.

So far this season, the locals have paid the price for not being able to put the ball in the net, with the games away to Instonians and Bangor springing to mind.

Armagh played particularly well in the first half and while they were not so dominant in the second period, they managed to hold on for what at the start of the game appeared an unlikely two points.

They executed the perfect smash and grab raid, scoring two breakaway goals, one in each half, to seal the win.

Down went into the game missing a number of players, but those who took the field were more than good enough to win the game to provide the perfect response to the previous weekend's inept response against Bangor.

The home side was overrun in the middle of the park in the first half and when Armagh attacked, they always appeared to have a spare man.

It was the visitors who created the first scoring opportunity of the game with a break down the home side's left wing, but a forward was met at the top of the circle by the 'keeper.

At the other end, James Cunningham went close, while Philip Brown forced the 'keeper to make a smart save at his near post.

Midway through the half, with the play congested in the middle of the park, Down opened the scoring. Trevor McClurg started the move which led to the goal by powering his way forward; he passed to brother Raymond who fed Brown who turned his marker before drilling a shot into the bottom corner for a great goal.

Down should have built on their advantage, but they couldn't settle on the ball and paid a heavy price for some poor marking with 10 minutes of the half remaining.

Armagh caught Down on the break and when the ball was whipped into the circle, an unmarked forward lifted it over the advancing 'keeper.

In the second period, Down played a lot better, but they wasted too many scoring opportunities and it almost seemed inevitable Armagh would catch them on the counterattack and that's exactly what happened.

Brown saw two efforts saved by the 'keeper while a Cunningham shot from a short corner struck the post and rebounded to safety. Down's short corners simply weren't working and this is an area they are going to have to work on for the rest of the season.

This weekend, its Portrush seconds away and while a win would be terrific, a point wouldn't be a bad result either.